"How could I possibly want to go? Consort Song has always been close to the concubine. Now that the Fourth Prince has moved to her side, and I am his wet nurse, I will definitely go with him. I'll certainly have to endure the mistreatment from the concubine and Consort Song then," said Madam Xia. She had come to Madam Nian to show her loyalty because she didn't want to lose this benefactor she had received from her.
"Don't worry too much. As long as you continue to report on the Fourth Prince to me, I will certainly treat you well. Song Shi has always been weak, can't you handle her?" Nian Shi saw through Xia Shi's intentions and flicked her nails.
"I understand. I will keep a close eye on the Fourth Prince. Please rest assured, Your Highness. But I'm afraid I won't be so free when I go to Lady Song's place," said Lady Xia.
“You don’t need to worry about that. Cuiling, you can meet with Granny Xia in the small garden from now on. Isn’t the small garden in front of Sister Song already being built? It’s almost finished, isn’t it? Granny Xia, you can take the Fourth Prince for a walk in the small garden, right?” said Madam Nian.
Xia thanked her and left. Nian, heavily pregnant, stood up and, supported by Cuiling, spun around the room.
Meanwhile, the Fourth Prince went straight to Yonghe Palace upon entering the palace, fearing that if he got too busy, he wouldn't have time to tell Consort De about what Lanqin had instructed him to do.
Consort De was very pleased to hear that Lanqin had taken the initiative to consult her on behalf of Lady Nian. The Nian family's influence in the army was growing, and having such a brother-in-law would naturally be very beneficial to the Fourth Prince's future. Lady Nian had already miscarried once, so this pregnancy required extra care! Consort De then sent another aunt under Consort De's care—Aunt Gu—to the Fourth Prince's residence to help Lady Nian with her pregnancy.
Meanwhile, Lanqin instructed Lanqi to tidy up the rooms next to the Second Princess's Lanyue Residence, and then, according to the Third Prince's preferences, to place some decorative items inside. The Fourth Prince had originally intended to connect the rooms behind the South Courtyard to the South Courtyard, but Lanqin found this troublesome and chose the rooms next to the Second Princess's residence instead. These rooms were originally used for storing utensils, or as resting places for servants when they were tired from work.
"Master, that area is quite old. Should we repaint it?" Lan Qi replied after hearing Lan Qin's plan.
"Yes, let someone renovate it. Also, have the greenhouse send some refreshing and nourishing plants. Cui Niang, take someone to check on the Third Prince's room today and ask him what he wants to bring. Take a look first, so it will be easier to arrange the layout later," Lan Qin said.
Cui Niang and Lan Qi accepted the order and left to prepare for Nuo Hongjun's arrival.
At this moment, Madam Song was also in her room directing several maids to prepare a room for Hongshi. Ever since Madam Yehe burned down the house opposite hers, the Fourth Prince had several houses rebuilt on the original site, and the rest of the area was transformed into a small garden. These houses were originally intended for people who came here to stroll and admire the flowers to rest.
“Let’s settle the Fourth Prince in one of the rooms in the garden over there. The servants who will take care of him can also live there. It will be convenient for me to visit him every day. The rooms here are too small and we can’t move them.” Madam Song said to Qingping.
"Hmm. Princess, should we go and discuss this with the concubine? Now that the master has suddenly assigned the Fourth Prince to you to raise, perhaps it's the concubine's idea," Qingping said.
"Of course. I'll go in a bit. But I'm a little worried, since the Fourth Prince was raised by his wife for two years," said Madam Song.
"Is Your Highness worried that the Fourth Prince is still thinking about his wife?" Qingping asked.
"This princess is worried that the Fujin (principal wife) has harbored some ill intentions towards that child. It is said that he has always refused to accept the concern shown by the concubine," said Madam Song.
"As long as Gege treats him sincerely, he's just a three or four-year-old child. Is his heart made of stone?" Qingping comforted him.
Madam Song nodded and instructed several maids to clean the rooms. They were new, but had been uninhabited for a long time and were covered in dust.
Just then, Madam Geng and her personal maid arrived at Madam Song's door and happened to overhear Madam Song's arrangements.
“Ah, my elder sister is so lucky. Now that the eldest princess is married, she has welcomed a fourth prince. Unlike my younger sister, who is now all alone.” Geng said, standing at the door.
Madam Song quickly stood up and said with a smile, "Younger sister is still young, unlike older sister who is already a grandmother. Come quickly and help me see how well these patterns are embroidered. They are for the eldest princess's son."
After saying that, Madam Song walked up to Madam Geng, took her hand, and led her to sit down in the main seat.
“My sister is already in her early twenties, she’s no longer young. Alas. It’s all because my sister is unlucky!” sighed Madam Geng. When she learned that the Fourth Prince had moved the Third Prince to the South Courtyard and the Fourth Prince to Madam Song’s place, she felt a pang of sadness. Think about it, now, apart from her and the Fujin (the wife of the Fourth Prince), every woman in the inner quarters has a child. Since taking in the Third Princess Namin, Madam Wu rarely goes out anymore. Now Madam Song has taken in the Fourth Prince, not to mention Lanqin, and Madam Nian also has a child; she’s no longer the only one all alone.
“Sister, the master has his reasons for making this arrangement. We concubines should just follow his lead. Sister doesn’t have any children yet, but there must be the best waiting for you!” Song Shi understood that Geng Shi was unhappy. Lan Qin’s decision to give the Fourth Prince to her to raise probably meant that Geng Shi had something on her mind.
Geng smiled and picked up the embroidery frame from Song's couch. She looked at it and saw that it was embroidered with several stones and crickets, which had a childlike charm.
“The cricket’s eyes need to be embroidered to make it truly beautiful. Let me add a few stitches for you, sister,” said Madam Geng, as she picked up the needle and began embroidering the cricket’s eyes.
"I don't know what kind of person the Fourth Prince is. Qin'er placed him with me, but I'm actually a little unsure about his character." Song Shi wasn't really keen on taking in the Fourth Prince, after all, she herself hadn't gotten along with Li Shi and the Fujin (Prince's wife) when she was younger. Now that Li Shi was gone and the Fujin was imprisoned, the son they had raised together had ended up with her—it was truly a sad situation.
“I hadn’t thought about that, little sister. You don’t need to worry so much, elder sister. After all, he’s just a child, and I’m only trying to do what’s best for him. How could he not know what’s good for him?” Geng felt increasingly uncomfortable: she wanted to raise him herself, but she couldn’t, and Song was still worried.
After Geng left Song's side, her face fell. Seeing that Geng was sullen all the way, Lülan comforted her, "Princess, what Song said is right. You will definitely find someone better. Raising someone else's child is never your own."
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